Always learning

[Ron Burgundy]

10 hours ago, Champ188 said:

Man, you guys are some kind of dedicated to those stripers. Nine hours of trolling for one fish?

9 hours of throwing a jerk bait for walleye last winter for nothing , nothing.....at least he got one.

[Champ188]

Guess it's all relative. I throw a jerk bait all day at least two days a week throughout the winter and never think twice about it. But I fish Table Rock almost exclusively and zero-fish days there are very rare.

[1969Larson]

Quantity vs. Quality.  

I'd trade a lot of days of spotted bass limits for the occasional fight with a 30+ lb fish. 

I know lots of ponds I can go catch little 4-lb bass on.  

[moguy1973]

I think you need a bigger dip net for fish like that.  

[Ron Burgundy]

On November 14, 2015 at 9:50:13 PM, Champ188 said:

Guess it's all relative. I throw a jerk bait all day at least two days a week throughout the winter and never think twice about it. But I fish Table Rock almost exclusively and zero-fish days there are very rare.

I was on Upper TR after walleye.

[Champ188]

6 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said:

I was on Upper TR after walleye.

Our walleye populations (Beaver and TR) are growing but not yet at the point where a zero day is unusual. My jerk baiting is for bass, with the occasional walleye being a bonus. If you zero on bass at TR, you just didn't figure out the bite that day.

[Stump bumper]

Zero is a relative term, depends on what you are looking for at the time. I have had bass tournament days were I have caught 20 fish and stilled zeroed. I have fished TR when I caught 6lb trout and lots of 14in smallmouth but some people would call that a zero.

I have zeroed on stripers this year but on the same days caught LM that I would have given anything to catch during a tournament and have zeroed a tournament but landed a 30lb striper in the past.

So, by giving up on naming what I fish for I have had no zero days on Beaver and fishing is fun again. If the stripers don't bite, I pull out a drop shot and get spots out of the trees or pull out a spoon and get whites of the bottom or beat the bank or troll the open water. If you don't care what you catch or how you catch it, both lakes are hard to zero on.

 

[Champ188]

That's a good philosophy, Bumper. I've enjoyed mostly pleasure fishing the past 3 years since we quit chasing the Central Pro-Am circuit. I/we still fish the occasional tournament, but I don't get involved in an entire circuit and just jackpot the ones that appeal to me. These days, my greatest pleasure comes from figuring the fish out and keeping Donna's rod bent as often as possible.

[Stump bumper]

Champ if you really want to see what Beaver has, throw a cast net sometime and fish with whatever you catch in it. On days when it seems Beaver won't give up anything put a live 2in bluegill on a hook, set the pole in a rod holder and pull it around PC. You will be surprised how many fish ignored your lures. That may not be fishing to some people but it has brighten my days and lead me to some drop offs and brush piles I never knew about. Also gives you more time to eat your lunch.lol

I never thought I would drill holes in a bass boat for rod holders, now I wonder why they don't come with them.

[Champ188]

I don't doubt that one bit, Bumper. Nothing like the real thing. Just ask some of those guides at Lake Fork. A lot of the really big fish down there are caught on live bait. Same for south Florida.